What to Look For in a Residential Senior Living Home

What to Look For in a Residential Senior Living Home

There comes a time when we have to face the inevitable and begin looking for a suitable home for an elderly family member.  Driving by residential senior living homes only gives us a glimpse of its immediate environment but not the reality of actually living there. When looking for a place to house mom & dad it is our duty to find a senior living home that not only can provide for their basic needs but also has a rich and stimulating environment to keep them busy and their minds sharp. 

What to Look For in a Residential Senior Living Home

Senior living home facilities should not be just places where someone goes so they can have people to take care of them, it should also be a place where our senior members feel safe, happy and satisfied.  Here are some helpful tips, from expert Scott Hemenway of The Geneva Suites,  on what to look for in a residential senior living home.

Cleanliness

This is very basic. When touring potential residential senior living homes, look around and check for the cleanliness of the surroundings. Are the furniture and other amenities in good condition or do they look like bargain basement returns? Check the smell of the home. 

Does it smell dank and musty? Or crisp and well kept?  Senior living homes do vary in terms of the quality of the furniture and other stuff but they should all be clean and in good working condition. Last but not least, do check the appearance of its current residents. Do they look clean and well cared for? Or do they look like they are being neglected.

Senior-Friendly

When touring the home check to see if the cupboards are within reach of the senior. Do also check if there are safety bars in the toilet and shower. Check to see if the floors are slip-resistant. The last thing you want is for a family member to slip and break their hip all because the floor gets slippery when it’s wet.  Ideally, the bed-room should be in the ground level so that there is lesser effort and less risk for the senior to stumble on a flight of stairs.

Quality of Staff Care

While most folks tend to judge senior living homes by their outside facades and in-terior facilities, let us not forget the quality of care that the staff can provide the sen-ior resident.  What you are looking for should be a place that provides care with dignity.  Staff should be friendly and respectful and every member knows the inti-mate details that each resident requires with regard to their care. 

Look and observe the staff members, do they look happy and satisfied with what they are doing? If the caregivers are happy and smiling, chances are the residents will be too.  While evaluating staff do check for experience of the owner and staff member, ease of com-munication with resident and staff, the ratio between staff and patients, presence of a nurse or advisor at the facility.

Security

If you have a family member that is suffering from dementia and you intend to place them in a residential senior living home, it is vital to check the security if it is ade-quate.  If the home admits dementia patients, there should be a secure perimeter and alarms present on the door. Find out how the caregiver will know if one of the residents tries to exit.

When it comes to residential senior living homes, it is a must that you define first your needs before you begin your search. Senior living homes are not created equal and there are levels of care associated with each one.  Define first what your senior requires in terms of independence, caregiving and level of social interaction so you will be able to easily narrow down your choices and find a home that suits them best.